All of the ingredients in a cocktail contribute to the experience.

I am Jay from www.spiritsippers.com. My business partner, Craig, and I just started a spirits glassware business aimed at the consumer market. We would like to give a free sample of our rum glass, which we call The Flare, to the first 3 forum members that email us at: info at spiritsippers.com. All we would like in return is for you to post a review of your experience trying out the glass onto this thread.

We completely understand that glassware choices are very personal and there is not one perfect glass for everyone. That being said, we would like to share with you the glass we find best for enjoying a good rum.

The first 3 that email us and include a mailing address will get our rum glass to take for a test drive.

Thanks, it is great to hear the enthusiasm! I've already received more than 3 emails for a free glass. I will respond to the emails now to let you know if you were one of the first three. Thank you for participating in this product review, we look forward to your posting.

I have the Flare from Spirit Sippers in hand this evening and started off my testing with a small portion of Appleton Master Blender's Legacy.

I am very impressed. The shape is wonderful. The little pot belly holds a healthy portion of spirit for evaluation, while the flare allows the nose to get a good sampling of the aromas of the rum.

My initial impression is that in comparison to my favorite Riedel rum sipper, I detect less alcohol and more rum aroma in the nosing, giving a more accurate indication of the rum essence. The base is large enough to be steady and the glass is substantial enough so as not to feel too delicate.

I find myself wishing the short distance between the base and vessel was just a bit farther apart; a slighly longer stem might be nice to allow the fingers to get between the base and belly of the glass, but this is a minor issue that I'm sure I can get used to in time.

I have a new favorite sipper for fine rum.

That looks to be a variation of the "Thistle" shape, which works quite well. It is also preferred by some Malt Whisky imbibers. Looks like a keeper there.

I also received a Flare from Spirit Sippers. Its first workout tonight was with Ron Zacapa Centenario XO.

I've tried many glasses to sip rum, from the Riedel rum glass, to a standard snifter and a nice old fashioned glass. Compared to all of them, the Flare is by far the best at allowing the aroma of the rum to rise without the burn of alcohol. It felt like I was really able to appreciate the aroma of my Ron Zacapa for the first time. As a chef, I shouldn't have been surprised...but I was really amazed at how the improved olfactory experience with this glass really improved the overall tasting experience.

The glass is thin enough to have a nice feel on the lips, without being too delicate. I initially agreed with Robert's observation about the very short stem, and perhaps wanting just a bit more room there to better hold the glass. After a bit of sipping though, I found my hand naturally going to the pinched waist of the glass. While it may not be the most elegant or "correct" way to hold a glass, I've quickly become comfortable with it.

I'll be buying a few more Flares. For me, this is a "must have" rum glass.

Jay was also kind enough to send me a Tulip which I'll be taking to work to evaluate with our tequilas. Given how well the Flare works, I'm pretty excited about it.

I also received my flare today, and I am very excited to try it, especially after these reviews. Unfortunately I've been building cocktails today for Mixology Monday (a rum swizzle, and a more sophisticated take on the dark and stormy, as well as a New York sour) rather than sipping rum. I've also been promised the full line for my other spirited intake, and I can't wait to try them all. In addition to everything else, this would make a great serving vessel for small punches (perhaps that selfsame rum swizzle)...
Cheers. - S

I was lucky enough to receive a flare glass from Spirit Sippers, and I must say, it is excellent. I decided to start off with big, rich aged rums, so I tasted Appleton 21 and Angostura 1824. I agree with those before me, that this glass allows the true essense of the rum to come forward, with just a small amount of the alcohol. Also, A good note here is to only put about 1/2 inch of rum in the bottom af the glass, so it sits inside the bowl portion at the bottom. This allows the aromas to collect and move up to the flared portion. If the bottom is too full, you lose a little of this effect. This is also a geat glass for sipping on a night when you would like to sip 3 or 4 different rums, as it only takes a small amount for a large amount of enjoyment. The glass is also very comfortable on the lips. The only suggestion I have, in agreement with the others, is for the stem to be a little longer, maybe an inch or 2. I am going to continue experimenting with rums of different flavor profiles and intensities, and will post my thoughts. I am also going to aquire a set of these, and a couple of other glasses from Spirit Sippers for scotch and bourbon. It is definitely the best tasting glass I have tried for rum.